I wanted some additional soft lighting in my bedroom. So, instead of purchasing a lamp, I decided to make one. Nothing says goodnight quite like the moon.
I started with a giant round balloon. Round is key. I had this one on hand. I’m not quite sure what size it was, but I can tell you it was big! Any size round balloon will work. Maybe you want a baby moon?
I drew a small circle on the top of the balloon to indicate where my electrical cord swag would eventually insert. I used the swag as a guide.
On the bottom of the balloon, I drew a larger circle. I used a bowl to trace this out.
Now the fun begins! I created the surface of the moon using paper towels. I bought a value sized package of choose your size paper towels. For my strips, I chose the smallest size sheet and then ripped that piece into three. I applied the first few layers with Mod Podge and then switched to a homemade papier-mâché paste.
Working in small sections, apply a layer of either adhesive to the balloon with a paint brush.
Then, place a paper towel strip down and apply the paste over it.
Here is my first layer almost completed. You can also see my paper towel strips and get a better idea of their size. Make sure you leave your circles open! Once a layer is completed, it must dry for at least 24hrs before another layer is applied.
I added eight more layers of papier-mâché to my moon. This project takes patience. If you are making a smaller moon, less papier-mâché layers may be needed.
Once all of the layers are added and the moon is completely dry, it’s time to pop and remove the balloon, then paint. I initially thought I was only going to use ivory and ochre paint on the moon, but then added white and grey.
I referenced a picture of the moon from the internet as a basic guide. Then, I lightly drew on some shapes with a brown colored pencil to mark off what would become the darker areas of the moon. I lightly sponged on ivory paint around the shapes as a base coat for the moon. I used a natural artist sponge to apply all of the paint layers.
Then, I mixed ochre and white paint and sponged around my shapes.
I filled in my shapes with the same paint mixture. This will give the moon a great starting base.
From there, it was basically trial and error. I made the spots of the moon darker by adding a mixture of white, grey and ochre paint. The moon looked better every time a layer was added. I wish I could give a more precise explanation on the paint technique, but I can tell you it’s all about the layering. It’s best to start with light layers and slowly continue adding darker layers to give your moon lots of depth.
Once I was happy with the look and the paint dried, I inserted my electrical cord swag. Make sure the lightbulb isn’t touching any part of your moon. I’m using a low wattage led bulb. Don’t leave your moon lit unattended.
I’m so pleased with how it turned out! It’s exactly what I envisioned when I started this project. Goodnight Moon.
3 Comments
Mark! This is really beautiful! Great job!
Need!😍🤗